Wheelbarrow



Patented May 1 1, 1937 v r i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WHEELBARROW Albert van Wulfften Palthe, Uccle, Belgium Application December 16, 1935, Serial No. 54,716 In Belgium November 20, 1935 2 Claims. (Cl. 28052) In ordinary wheel barrows, the directing wheel plhceable p e y o itself, in Various positions which constitutes the pivot of the lever formed n r sp t to the b x r frame of the w, by the whole barrow is disposed at one end of and particularly, in Such a manner that in an the barrow frame, the arms which serve to ush extreme p i th a of t wheel is n a y 5 the barrow being disposed at the other end. The in th v rt a wh ch pa s s h h the nt r whole is thus a lever in which the point at h h of gravity of the load, whilst in the other extreme the resistance acts (i. e. the load) is located beposition the axle of the wheel is considerably tween the pivoting point (i. e. the wheel) and the di$p1h0ed in r sp c t a Ve ti a wh t u point where the efiort is applied (1. e. the arms). Passes between the point at which the lever p l-J It has already been proposed to displace the (its and the point at which the force actspivoting point so as t near it t t t The arrangement can be such as to limit the li it t make t coincide t t point t positioning of the axle of the wheel to those two which the resistance acts extreme positions or so as to allow a series of In that case, the directing wheel is located intermediate positions- ;5 under the box of the wheel barrow. Such a A v simple Way f car yin th inv nti wheel barrow is easier to handle than an ordiinto efiect is to mount the shaft of the Wheel nary wheel barrow, in t t, t force t be at the lower end of an arm, the other end of plied t lift t arms is much smaner and n which is pivotally related to the chassis of the creases progressively as the axis of the directbarrow; TWO Stops d to this Chassis, One On il'lg wheel near the vertical which passes through a Side and symmetrically n sp t to the the center of gravity of the load (with reducv t f t ar a t t it the d spla em nt tion and even nearly complete suppression of Of the and he Shaft 0f he wheel.

resisting arm) In a modified form the shaft of the wheel is The force to be applied is therefore nearly mounted in a horizontal slot formed in a longilimited to the force necessary for progress of tudihai member fixed to the lower p of the the barrow and to facilitate handling there is barrow Chassiseven provided in front of the barrow, that is to The Shaft i5 displhceahle 011 said o and say between the arms or handle, one or several means, e y to Conceive are p v d d 1 0 mai pushing devices ending at the level of the breast thin Said Shaft in any prescribed Position n of the conductor, in such a manner that he Said S10t- 30 pushes mainly with his chest, the arm serving Figure 1 is a View in Side elevation f a wheelonly to substantially keep the barrow (load) b rrow embodying h inv n i n nd lifted and to guide the barrow. Figure 2 is a rear end view thereof.

This wheel arrangement, in which the wheel I is the box or receptacle of a wheel barrow '35 is located under the box of the barrow with pr mounted on or pertaining to a chassis 2 carried vision of an auxiliary pushing device is highly t ne d by legs 3 and towards the other en interesting when progressing on hard practically or at another point by the directing wheel 4. level ground. In that case, a substantially lesser This chassis comprises two arms 5 which serve force aliows to displace loads considerably heavto apply the uplifting force or effort of the wheel 0 ier than with ordinary wheel barrows. Howbarrow round the shaft 6 of the wheel, one or sev- 4O ever, when progressing on soft ground, soaked eral parts such as I being preferably provided besoil or when climbing a relatively steep slope, tween arms 5, these known parts ending up at this arrangement cannot be applied and use the level of the chest of the barrow-man to allow must then be made of an ordinary wheel barrow. him to exert by means of his chest the main This invention has for an object to provide a effort in view of progressing with the barrow. wheel barrow comprising in combination the two Those parts I can be of any type, fixed or adjustknown devices and which therefore allows it to able.

move on soft soil or on a steep slope exactly as The shaft 6 of the wheel is rotatably mounted with an ordinary wheel barrow, and furthermore, at the lower end of an arm 8, the other end of which allows if the ground is hard, to progress which is pivoted at 9 under the chassis 2. The

with the aid of a considerably reduced effort, chassis carries two rigid stops l0 and H, symthanks to an artificially obtained reduction of metrically located, one on each side of pivot 8 the resisting arm comprising the barrow. and against which the arm 8 abuts in one or According to this invention this object is atthe other of its extreme positions. In the posi- 5 tained by mounting the axle of the wheel distion shown in full lines the shaft of the wheel Car is located under the box I and near to the vertical which passes through the center of gravity of the load when the barrow is lifted up in view of displacement. The necessary eifort to support the load is thus very feeble.

If the soil or ground is soft or if a relatively steep slope must be climbed, this position is not suitable any more and it is then suflicient to bring arm 8 in the position shown in dotted lines, which corresponds to that of an ordinary barrow.

It will be understood that arm 8 may be double so as to support shaft at its two ends.

Also, the invention is not limited to the preferred form shown. A series of other equiva,-'

lent realizations may be conceived, allowing to alter the position of shaft 6 in respect to the load. Thus two supports be-provided, each one corresponding to one of the positions: shown. In this case it would naturally be necessary to remove and reset shaft 6.

A slide parallel to chassis 2. could also. be provided, in-. which. shaft 6 could be inserted. and maintained in. various positions.

Allthose formsof realization and others-which are. only mechanical equivalents. of the preferred for-m shown are: included. in. the scope. of the invention asset forthin.theappended claims.

Having: nowfully, described my saidinvention, what I claim and. desireto secure by Letters Patent isz 1. In a wheel barrow, a frame including longitudinal members, a pair of arms pivoted to the under sides of said members, an axle carried by the free ends of said arms, a wheel carried by the axle, and a pair of stop members spaced equally on the under side of the frame forwardly and rearwardly from the pivot point of said arms and having their lower ends in the path of the free end of one of said arms whereby the wheel may be positionedselectively in front and rear positions.

2, In a wheel barrow, a frame including longitudinal members, a pair of arms pivoted to the under'sides of said members, an axle carried by the free ends of said arms, a wheel carried by the axle, and a pair of stop members spaced equally on'ethe. under side of the frame forwardly and rearwardly from the pivot point of said arms. and having their lower ends in the path of the free end of one of said arms whereby the wheel maybe positioned selectively in front and rear positions"; each of said stop members consisting' of a U-shaped strap having out-turned feet on its'legs for attachment to said frame, said stop. members being of equal length whereby the wheel is equally. spaced from the frame in each operative. position.

ALBERT VAN WULFFTEN PALTHE. 

